There was a myriad of reasons why LeBron James would have viewed the opportunity to play for the Los Angeles Lakers as intriguing.

The chance to help one of the league’s legendary clubs back into the NBA upper echelon could cement his legacy among the absolute elite of the game’s all-time greats.

The $154 million over four years- yeah, who wouldn’t find that sum of money intriguing?

Perhaps, though, it had nothing to do with any of the above.

Could it be that when King James signed with the Lakers as a free agent earlier this month, he merely desired a locale where he could wear his shorts pants suits without concern of frostbite or judgment?

Yeah, that was probably the deciding factor.

James turned heads and showed everyone some knee when he arrived for Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers to face the Golden State Warriors decked out in a stylish grey suit with matching short pants, accessorized with calf-length dress socks – one plain, one with white stripes – black boots and an elaborate crocodile carry bag.

He followed up with another grey suit short pants look for Game 2, this time opting for bright red socks, white high tops and a more generic duffel bag, but even this more athletic-looking ensemble couldn’t stem the tide of the Warriors’ sweep. No doubt shortening LeBron’s fuse was the moment when he saw that Golden State forward Draymond Green opted to mirror him by donning a blue suit with short pants.

So what’s up with the shorts?

The fashion statement has been available since the early 2000s, a creation of designer Thom Browne. But the verdict in blue-collar Cleveland was nasty, where the King of the triple-double created many double takes among the Cavaliers’ fanbase, one person taking to social media to harshly label the suit “a cancer.”

Critics felt the outfit made James look like a cross between an overgrown English schoolboy and a fanboy of AC/DC lead singer Angus Young. The only item missing to complete the ensemble was the tweed cap.

James was quick to defend his choice in an interview with the New York Times.

“Expressing myself through fashion is such an important part of my NBA experience,” James told the Times. “It’s really another way to have fun and experience my love for the game.

“Using the tunnel walk to express yourself, says what you’re feeling — that is a very cool change my generation brought to the game.”

Maybe so, but making a fashion statement in an industrial center such as Cleveland simply isn’t going to fly with the masses. And for health and safety reasons, short pants in February while living in the Mistake By The Lake would not only be foolhardy, it could prove fatal.

Doing so in L.A., where anything goes without question anytime, should work well for him.

Playing for the Lakers, LeBron can don his shorts at work, and he can also wear them to work and no one will bat an eyelash in disdain. Here’s proof: